Do You Still Dream?
by AngeloftheMorning1978
Summary: A choose your own adventure story. My readers will vote and decide how the story will go. A&A
1. Chapter 1

Do You Still Dream?

~ It was raining. The downpour so heavy that the road was almost totally obscured. A hard rain, that pounded down on the world fit to rip it apart. Arthur had to squint and keep the car at a slow and steady pace in order to see the lines of the highway. He was always careful, but the hard rain made him even more so.

Inside the cab of the car, the Point Man and Architect were safe. The bullying rain could not reach them here. Could not touch them. But still, Ariadne was uneasy. Arthur noticed how her hands were clenched and her knuckles were white. He cold hardly blame her. After everything that had happened.

The rain worried the Architect. She trusted Arthur completely. He was a good driver, it was just the visibility was so poor and she could just imagine a car hitting them. The rain made everything so much more... deceptive.

"Arthur." She said softly before emotions closed her throat up.

The Point Man gave her a quick worried look. It was the first time she had spoken in hours. Since they had left the mission. He had been concerned about her, but he was not the kind of man to demand things. Especially of women.

"Yes." He said gently. "What is it?" His voice inviting her to speak.

"Can we... can we just pull over?" She asked in a shaky voice.

Her hands trembling as if they were cold.

"I don't want to drive in this. Can we just stop for a little while?" She asked him. Tears threatening to fall from her eyes as she leaned her head back. A foolish attempt to make them go back in.

"Sure." He said as if talking to a scared and wounded animal. A creature he didn't want to spook or run off. "Sure we can."

~ The Point Man could barely see the red lights of a hotel through the driving storm and carefully maneuvered into the covered parking garage. It was a nice hotel, in the city. Arthur paid cash for a room for them as they were given no more attention then they wanted. He guided her to their room and casually placed the "do not disturb" sign on the door.

Ariadne immediately pulled off her boots and jacket. She had a far away look in her eyes. Something like discomfort mixed fear. Despite their ability to avoid the storm by car and hotel, she still felt wet and cold.

Following his instincts, the Point Man went to the window. Whenever he was scared or nervous, that was where he always found himself. This was how he handled all types of stress. By acting a guard for the Team, for her. Today had certainly been stressful.

"I'm... I'm going to take a shower." She said absentmindedly. Her voice sounding far off and nothing at all like the confident young woman he had known just hours before.

He nodded and couldn't help but looked worried. He wanted to ask if she was okay, that would have been alright with Cobb or Eames. But the Architect was not "one of the guys". It seemed a stupid question to ask anyway. He knew she wasn't okay. No one was okay now.

He listened to the shower going off in the bathroom. His gaze returning to the watchful duties of a sentry. He tried to peer through the rain but his eyes were itching for sleep. Too much had happened today. Too many things had gone wrong.

What was he going to do? Should he take her back to Paris? No, that would never work. These people, they had her information. They knew she was with them, knew what she could do. No, he had to keep himself and her off the grid until he could think of a better plan.

He was lost in thought well past night fall. The rain never letting up. Never slowing down it's wrathful beating. He almost didn't hear her emerge from the bathroom. Her voice coming out choked. Telling him the bathroom was free. He turned and saw her as if for the first time.

They had not bags except what they had for carry on. They had not packed extra clothing and the Architect had to improvise with one of the nice complimentary hotel bathrobes. She looked up at him with her big doe like eyes.

"I'm tired." She said pitifully.

He nodded and could see she had been crying. She had made a valiant attempt to cover it up. Rubbing her eyes and face free of tears till her skin was red and raw.

The Architect climbed into bed like a child might. Pulling and pushing the covers away and burying herself in it's warm layers. Arthur almost had to smile at that thought. How sweet and young she was. Too innocent for the horrors of the day.

"I'll shower in the morning." He said sadly and she rubbed her eyes again. Her sweet angelic face sad and lost.

What he wanted, more then anything, was to go to her. But it wouldn't be right. Not now. She was still too hurt, too angry, too _sad_. Yet, that face, her body swimming in the covers all alone seemed to yearn for him to be with her. Seemed to want his company.

"I want to go to sleep." She said sadly. Fixing her pillow with a violent slap.

"Go to sleep." He said in his gentle tone. The voice he like to use with her when they were alone and she made him happy. When she made him content. He stood his ground and watched her. She looked so lovely, freshly washed. As if just for him.

He could not resist temptation, he went to her.

**Were going to try something different with this story, kiddies. I already have an idea for the bones of this story, but I'm going to let my readers decide where we go from here. I will let you decide what this story becomes. I hope this will be fun for all of us! So excited to do this!**

_(A) Do you want A&A to make love all night?_

_(B) Do you want to find out what happened? I know the suspense is horrible! _

_Do you want them to do a little of both? Keep in mind, it will cost you!_

**I will close polls in 24 hours. 1 P.M. Friday the 9 of December . Texas USA time. Please Vote!**

**I will post a new chapter 24 hours after voting is over. **

**VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE**


	2. Chapter 2

2.

~ Ariadne said nothing as Arthur pulled off his shoes and climbed into bed with her. Her hair and skin smelling of warm, rich soap. Her face looking haunted as he made himself more comfortable beside her. A hand going to her hair and brushing free the dark tresses from her face. Keeping his eyes locked with hers. She seemed shy to have him laying next to her. Hiding half her face in a pillow. He quickly covered them both up from the cold. His body to one side so they could look at each other.

The rain was still beating outside. Like a terrible beast set to rip them apart if they dared to venture out.

Ariadne's fingers made a brief contact with his, forcing his hands to respond. As if it was some kind of a game, their hand and fingers made brief intimate contact with one another. His hands were large, dwarfing hers several times over and holding a natural feeling of protectiveness with them.

She had to smile at that. Her cold toes running over his bare feet.  
>"I'm sorry." Arthur said sullenly. "Sorry about all of this. We should have warned you. I should have prepared you more."<p>

"I knew what I was getting into." She whispered.

"No, you didn't." He argued, hating himself. "Not like this."

**~ 16 Hours Earlier ~ **

~ "So, how did you get involved in Dream Extraction?" Ariadne asked Eames. The handsome Forger flashed his standard issue rouge smile that sent ladies hearts a flutter. He popped another peanut in his mouth as the two of them were waiting their contact with Arthur.

"Well, it's a long story. Sort of fell into it. But sufficient to say it was the only thing in life I've ever been any good at. Never had a nack for much else. Not one of you brainy types." He said. He smiled a half smile and surged.

"Your good at _lots_ of things." Ariadne said honestly. She had been around smart, intellectual people all her life. The Forger possessed a natural genius and resourcefulness that many of her professors, fellow students and herself would kill for.

"No, I was never good at school. Not like the others." Eames said. "All of you, you went to university and all. I was lucky to even finish the schooling I _had_ to." He laughed and held up a bottle of beer as a toast.

"Eames, there are all kinds of intelligence out there. That word is very subjective and variable. I can tell you that none of the supposedly smart people I went to school with would be able to do the things you do for the Team." She told him truthfully.

The Forger glanced at her. Hiding a smile.

"With the Fischer job, came up with the idea. Helped us execute it. No one else could have done it." She went on.  
>"Your about to make me blush, Ariadne." He said with a cocky smile.<p>

She laughed.

"So, tell me what's up with you and Arthur then." He said changing the subject.  
>"What... what do you mean?" she said trying to sound innocent and casual. The Forger laughed.<p>

"You know what I mean, Darling. Don't play stupid, it doesn't suit you." He told her. "I see the way he looks at you."

"What? Like I'm the only girl in the room? That's because I _am_." She huffed, rolling her eyes.  
>The Forger nodded as if that could explain things.<p>

"Maybe. I've worked with Arthur before, most of the time, he was a right pain in the ass. You come along and he's suddenly more tolerable." The Forger said. That roguish smile spreading on his face again. "But just a little." He amended.

"Well..." Ariadne sighed.

She wanted to tell him about how Arthur kissed her in the dream. Her, of all people. A brainy architecture student who never had a serious boyfriend had been tricked into kissing that handsome, sophisticated, well dressed man. She couldn't stop the blush spreading to her cheeks at the memory of it. She bit her lip and shook her head. Deciding she wasn't ready to share that particular aspect of their recent mission.

Eames wasn't paying attention to her anyway. His eyes were fixed steadily on the crowded street.

"Ariadne, I want you to finish drinking your coffee and then go hail a cab." He said in a cold serious voice. Not taking his eyes off the street. His gaze fixated on something she wasn't trained to see.

"What?" She laughed. Thinking he was up to one of his jokes.

"Do it now. Pay for your drink and go out the back way. Don't look behind you. Hail a cab and have it take you to the airport. Wait for our contact." He said standing up and pulling sunglasses out of his breast pocket.

His voice was hard now. Making her worried as she tried to see what he was seeing.  
>"Don't look." He ordered sternly. "Just go. Don't come back. Do it." He said.<p>

She listened to him. His demeanor had changed so much that she _had_ to listen to him. She was suddenly afraid not to. She stood up and laid out her cash on the table and walked steadily away from him. Her walk was quick but not running. 'Never run if you can help it' Arthur had told her during her training.

In the back side of the cafe, she was suddenly on a busy street. She did as Eames said and hailed a cab, didn't look back. A small little euro cab pulled over rapidly and she dove in. She asked the driver to take her directly to the airport, but traffic was slow. Congested with the busy tourist season and heavy pedestrians.

Feeling like Lot's wife, Ariadne resisted the urge to turn around. To look back at the cafe she had just fled. She wondered wildly what had happened. What was going on. What had come over the Forger so suddenly, making his good mood vanish and be replaced by a temperament similar to Arthur's?

The cab was inching along and Ariadne could stand it no longer. She turned around and looked behind her. There was the house of the Mark they were supposed to be scouting out. Arthur and Cobb were on their way to meet them. What had Eames seen that had changed their plans so rapidly?

The Architect fumbled for her cell phone. She wanted to call Arthur, Cobb or Eames. Ask what was happening. Then the Point Man's lessons came back to her. He had said never to call the Team if there was a potentially dangerous situation. That the sound of the ring tone could give away their position. That she was to _always_ escape and evade and await contact. That was her job. Nothing else, no heroics.

She was worried. Worried about Arthur, Eames and Cobb. What was happening that had caused the Forger to be so worried all the sudden?

She wanted to go to them. They could be in danger. She might be able to help. She had surprised herself how much she had helped on the Fisher inception.

The cab was at a stand still and she could walk faster to the airport at this rate. He hand itching to the door handle.

**VOTEING TIME!**

**should Ariadne:**

** (A) do what Eames said, stay in the cab and go to the air port like a good girl.**

**OR**

** (B) leave the cab and go find out whats happening to her Team.**

**OR**

**(C) Have the bad guys find her.**

**Polls will close in 24 hours, at 1pm Texas USA time. New chapter will be posted then! **

**VOTE!**


	3. Chapter 3

3.

~ What was she thinking? She should have just done what Eames had told her to. The Forger was only looking out for her. But some kind of inner voice inside her made her abandon her cab and walk steadily to the Mark's house. Her Team was in very real trouble, she was sure of it. Perhaps it was the shared dreaming they had done, perhaps it was woman's intuition, but she _knew_ something was wrong and she had to help them.

She kept her untrained eyes on the look out for her Team. The mass of tourists flocking the popular streets. All of their faces making it hard to lock onto the familiar sights of her people.

Suddenly, she saw something. A man watching the tourists. Not merely people watching for pleasure, but gauging them as if they were a threat. She hung behind a crowd of people and managed to slip close to him without his notice.

He was big and dumb looking. His suit was cheap and a size too big for him. It the casual atmosphere of people walking and looking at the sights, he stood out. She watched him from a hidden place and he never saw her. Finally, he seemed to give up and casually turned around and went into a back entrance. He was going into the Mark's building.

The Architect came out of her hiding place and followed him. Carefully removing the small stun gun that she used whenever she was alone in the city. It was discreet in that she could carry it in her hand and no one would see it. She had never had occasion to use it. Something told her that was all about to change. She started to psych herself up for it. Knowing that she might have to stun that big man. Knowing her Team was in danger.

~ The house was big. The back door leading to a deserted, empty kitchen. When she silently crept in after the big man, she could tell that no one else was on the first floor. It was too quite. She could hear noises upstairs and made her way down the hall hugging the walls and trying to keep quite.

She saw him then. The big man from the street was acting as look out. He was standing at the window. Checking out the people, looking for her maybe. His back was to her. She recognized the position anywhere. It was the same stance and role Arthur always took. Who ever these people were, _this_ was their Point Man.

Her first instincts was to hide or run away. But the sound of Cobb's voice upstairs made her pause. She couldn't hear exactly what he was saying but she had known the Extractor long enough now to recognize that he was upset. Perhaps even hurt.

She screwed up her courage and made a silent assault on the Other Point Man. Her stun gun giving off and impressive ZAP as he grunted and hit the floor. His big body making a loud noise. She should have tried to catch him, muffled the noise but she had no idea what she was really doing. Cobb and the others always handled these kinds of matters. They were good at it. She spotted the gun in the Other Point Man's holster and took it.

Arthur had shown her how to shoot in all their training. She had been reluctant to learn at first, but by the time he was done, she was much more confident and sure. The gun felt heavy and she carefully checked it. It was fully loaded and ready to be fired.

She let out a long sigh when someone grabbed her.

A hand covered her mouth to keep her from screaming and the other hand wrenched the gun away from her.

"Shh!" Eames was saying pulling her back close to his chest as she tried to get away from him. Panicked at the surprise.

He was smiling as he finally let go of her.

"Eames! You scared me!" She hissed loudly.  
>"I told you to get in a cab!" The Forger whispered angrily. Holding a finger to his lips.<br>"Traffic was too slow. What's happening?" He whispered as an excuse.  
>"I think Cobb and Arthur have been found out. I saw them being escorted by these gorillas here a few minuets ago." The Forger said softly. "Good job on the stun gun, Darling." He said nodding to the knocked out Other Point Man. "I was debating on how I should take him out when you showed up."<p>

"What do we do?" Ariadne asked looking worriedly up the stairs. She could hear Arthur's heavy voice now. His words muffled but they definitely had that angry edge to them.

"We need to get them out." Eames said simply. He looked over the Other Point Man's weapon and pulled out a smaller hand gun.

"I want you to take mine. It's much easier to use. I assume Arthur taught you how?" He asked with a raised eye brow.

"Yes." Ariadne said feebly.

"Course he did." Eames chuckled.

"Eames, I don't want to shoot anyone." Ariadne said.  
>"Never mind that." Eames said. "If they come at you, you better shoot them or else they will take your weapon and take you hostage. You don't want that." The Forger said.<p>

Ariadne looked as the small caliber hand gun she was holding. It felt just the right size in her hands and she nodded.  
>"Now Arthur told me no matter what, to get you out of a hot situation." Eames said nodding to her. "I tried to do that. But I since you decided to stay, you need to back me up. I want you to shoot anyone I can't. Do not expose your position, understand? I don't want them to know your here. You stay behind me." He told her. She was nodding. Her heartbeat racing. Both excited and afraid.<p>

"When this is all over, you tell Arthur I tried to get you out but you wouldn't listen, understand? Don't shoot unless I shoot first." He added.

"Eames?" She asked finally before they headed up the stairs. "Who are these people?"

**Who are the bad guys?**

**(A) Cobol Engineering coming after Cobb and Arthur**

**(B) Saito's people**

**(C) Robert Fisher's people**

**Another Extraction Team**

**Pols will close at 1pm, 12-11-11 Texas USA time. Vote NOW!**


	4. Chapter 4

4.

~ "I don't know, Darling." Eames said. Shaking his head. His voice a hushed whisper. "Whoever they are, their well trained. Just stay behind me, alright then?" He asked. Ariadne nodded and followed the Forger silently up the stairs. Her eyes flicking back to the unconscious Other Point Man on the floor.

As they approached the second story they heard the voices of their Extractor and Point Man. Arthur was talking. That cold steady cadence he always used when the matter was most dire and professional.

"Were not here for you." Arthur was saying. "We were hired to do a job. Nothing more."

"And _who_ hired you?" A strange voice said in a foreign accent asked.

The Point Man was silent.  
>"Were not going to tell you that." Cobb said. Ever reasonable. Ever the voice of the Team. "We tell you that, were dead."<p>

"Your dead either way." The accent said.

Ariadne felt Eames halt in front of her and motion for her to stop. The Forger peered around the corner to a lighted room. Ariadne could see Arthur, his face a deep surly scowl. He was angry and doing nothing to hide it.

Raw fear was pumping through her. Her ears ringing as her vision focused on the Point Man. Shutting out all other sounds and sights.

"No, you need us." Cobb was saying. "Your boss, I know he won't accept failure."

"How do you know about us?" The man with the accent chuckled.

Ariadne almost didn't see it. Eames had slipped out of the shadows so effortlessly. His quick movements coming up behind a guard who's back was to them. The large caliber hand gun pointed at the enemy's back. She had never thought of Eames being well trained in this kind of work. Never saw him as anything buy the flirty Forger of the dream world. But Eames was showing he was just as skilled as Arthur in taking out an enemy.

Ariadne followed and stayed close to Eames as the Forger hissed something in the guard's ear. The bad guy gave off a grunt and walked clumsily into the room. Eames guiding him in at gun point.

All action stopped as attention went to the Forger and his hostage.

"Hello Ladies." Eames said in that ever cocky manner of his.

Cobb and Arthur looked surprised yet relived to see him.  
>"Now, I think it's time we leave." He said taking in the shocked looks of the occupants. Safely hidden behind his burly hostage.<p>

Ariadne stayed well concealed. Her instincts telling her not to create another variable with her presence. Eames seemed to be doing a good job of getting their people out.

Without being told, Cobb and Arthur quickly left the room. The Forger backing out of the room with his hostage. Ariadne finally released herself from her hiding place and showed herself to Arthur.  
>"What are you doing here?" The Point Man growled. His face angry.<p>

"Getting you out." Ariadne said feeling hurt. Arthur's hands were over hers as he pulled her roughly down the stairs. The Other Point Man was waking up. Arthur's quick movements subduing him once more as the Team raced out of the house. Ariadne barely taking in the Forger using her stun gun to knock his hostage out as they fled.

~ "You were _told_." Arthur said breathlessly as they walked swiftly through the crowded streets. "You were told, I don't know how many times, to get in a cab and go to the air port. Await contact." His voice was low and dark. His anger evident.

"I wasn't going to leave you." Ariadne shouted back as they finally saw their car. The Point Man fumbling with the keys.

"Ariadne we have an escape plan in place for a reason." Cobb said calmly as the Extractor and Forger were looking behind them.

"Get in." Arthur said coldly to her as he held out the passenger side door. The Architect gave the Point Man a bewildered look. Never, never ever had he spoken to her like that. He refused to meet her eyes as she did what he asked. Arthur slammed the car door shut as he went around tot he driver's side.

"Stay off the streets. Meet me by message board in 2 hours." Arthur said in that angry tone of his. Ariadne watched wide eyes as the Point Man circled around and got into the driver's side.

"Arthur." She said once the Point Man slammed the drivers side door shut. Cobb and Eames vanishing into the crowd. Their own measures of escape and evade in place.

He ignored her as he put the shiny black car into drive and almost mowed over tourists.

"I... look... I'm sorry, I was worried about you." She said softly. "I had my stun gun. Nothing bad happened." She told him.

His face was cold and hard. His eyes nothing like the kind look he normally gave her.

"Something bad could have happened." Arthur grumbled. "You could have been killed. Never do that again. Cobb and I can handle ourselves."

"Arthur, who were those people?" She asked. It started to rain as they fled the city.

**Sorry it took so long to update. I was busy and lazy. **

** Got "The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories" in. Super cute. Makes a good stocking stuffer.**

** ~~~~The Voting was a three way split last time. So lets show me some love. ~~~~**

** The men who detained Cobb and Arthur were an extraction Team, but who do they work for?**

** A) Cobol Engineering **

** Or **

** B) Robert Fischer.**

** Polls will close in 24 hours form now. 5 p.m. Texas USA time. 12-14-11. Please vote and tell me where you want the story to go. Love you guys a lot. **


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